Category Archives: Drama

Streets Apart by Jackie Lines

A new and ground-breaking play, Streets Apart deals with the growing crisis of 21st Century homelessness.

How can it happen in a wealthy country like ours?

This brilliant new contemporary script explores the moving struggles of homelessness and the uphill challenge of surviving another day.

What are the issues behind homelessness and how do those less fortunate end up on a downward spiral in life?

In a heartbeat everything could change and this becomes your destiny.

The visceral story follows the journey of two young vulnerable people living in a tent and lost to the world and themselves. Set on the dark and threatening streets and in the safety of a Day Centre, their stories throw light on a crisis in society that is rarely understood.

Streets Apart brings a powerful insight into homeless through innovative and immersive theatre. Blazing with tension, energy and passion, this inspirational play explores the fragility of life.

And how lives can change when a community comes together.

An ideal production for students looking to address contemporary issues in society. The play also highlights for students the need for a sound financial footing in life as rents increase and affordable housing becomes scarce.

MUSIC & LYRICS: “Someone to Hold”. Written by Chris Musson. Included in Script Cost. Free of PRS.

RUNNING TIME: approx. 1hr 25 mins.
CAST: Unlimited, male and female
STRONG LANGUAGE: The author is happy for this to be adapted age appropriately.
PERFORMANCE SPACE: The play is ideally performed on the flat or a thrust stage.

COST: £50 for a single performance, £40 for each additional performance. A full copy of the script will be emailed to you with permission for photocopying.

Six marvellous productions – a more inter-active experience – greater learner support

Here at Fred Theatre H.Q. we are very excited about our plans for the upcoming school year. We are bringing back popular productions from this year, adding to them, and making a few changes to what we offer. Altogether, these will give you and your students a more exciting and valuable experience.

We have six amazing productions, for all of which you may reserve dates from today.

Designed with the needs of your GCSE students in mind we have…

A CHRISTMAS CAROL(available from 14 October to 20 December)

MACBETH(available from 20 January to 07 February and 24 February to 08 May)

JEKYLL AND HYDE(available from 24 February to 08 May)

ROMEO AND JULIET(available from 03 to 14 February and 02 March to 08 May)

New for next year: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING(available from 02 March to 08 May)

And for your younger students…

FRED’S SHAKESPEAREANCE(available now and throughout the coming year)Our fun-packed three hour introduction to Shakespeare, his life and works, designed for students who are about to embark on studying the Bard

Six professional actors perform our GCSE text-based productions; we feel a smaller cast compromises quality. All Fred Theatre staff attending your school are DBS checked, trained in child safeguarding and experienced in the idiosyncrasies of in-school performances.

Teachers appreciate our commitment to the text and producing a faithful rendition of the original, just a little shorter! And, all we need to perform at your school is a space approximately 5m x 5m with room (of course) for the audience.

From October, we’re extending our time with you and your students to two hours. This enables us to include an interactive element between the cast and audience as part of the session. During this time there will be a discussion of the play’s themes, characters, how we approached the production, and choices made in rehearsal. There will also be a chance for you and your students to ask questions.

We are equally happy to run this as a continuous two hour session, or include a short break following the performance, whatever you feel will work best for you and your students.

Every student receives a programme that, along with cast and crew details, includes notes on the production and text, as well as support material for them to use in the interactive post-show session. Students will be able to keep these for use in class and as a valuable revision aid.

Also, from October, we will provide you with copies of information sheets, for distribution to students ahead of our being with you. These will provide valuable information about the text and production and we’re sure your students will want to keep them with their class notes to use in revision. These sheets will help build a sense of anticipation ahead of the performance, encouraging students to value our visit to your school, and make the most of their opportunity to learn from it.

As in previous years, we are happy to provide additional workshops if this is of interest to you. These are devised through discussion with you, and delivered by a member of our skilled education team. We can also arrange visits from our directors and artistic director.

To discuss any aspect of a visit from Fred Theatre to your school, please feel free to contact me or a member of our tour administration team. You can call us on 01789 777612 or email:

The new Autumn season at the Assembly Hall Theatre includes three striking musicals, two of them based on hit films (Flashdance and The Wedding Singer) and the third (Son of a Preacher Man) a brand new musical set in 60’s Soho featuring the songs of Dusty Springfield.

The Wedding Singer
Tue 5 Sep to Sat 9 Sep

It’s 1985. Hair is huge, greed is good and rock-star wannabe Robbie Hart (Jon Robyns: Avenue Q, Legally Blonde) is New Jersey’s favourite wedding singer. When his own fiancée dumps him at the altar a seriously bummed out Robbie makes every wedding as disastrous as his own.

Can sweet natured Julia, (Cassie Compton: X Factor) and her best friend Holly lure Robbie out of the dumpster and back into the limelight? Or is he going to see her head off down the aisle with Wall Street bad boy Glenn (Ray Quinn: X Factor, Dancing On Ice)? Only Grandma Rosie (Ruth Madoc: Hi-De-Hi!, Little Britain) seems to be able to see that Robbie and Julia are the couple that are meant to be.

Dance like you’ve never danced before! Flashdance – The Musical tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of 18 year old Alex, a welder by day and ‘flashdancer’ by night, who dreams of going to the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy and becoming a professional dancer. When a romance complicates her ambitions, she harnesses it to drive her dream.

Based on the Paramount Pictures film (Screenplay by Tom Hedley and Joe Eszterhas, story by Tom Hedley) Flashdance is an inspiring musical about the power of holding onto your dreams and love against all the odds.

Prepare to be blown away with an astonishing musical spectacle and phenomenal choreography to this iconic score including the smash hit Maniac, Manhunt, Gloria, I Love Rock & Roll and the sensational title track Flashdance – What a Feeling.

Produced by the award winning team at Selladoor Productions- producers of Footloose, Avenue Q and Little Shop of Horrors, and Runaway Entertainment – producers of Lazarus, In the Heights and Guys and Dolls, Flashdance – The Musical is not to be missed!

No school rate, but tickets from £15 plus £1.75 per ticket booking fee and requests can be put to the producers

Three broken hearts, one Soho hang-out, and the only man who could ever help them…

Welcome to the Preacher Man, the swinging 1960s Soho joint where the kids danced the night away to the latest crazes and dared to dream of love, while the legendary owner, The Preacher Man himself, dispensed advice to cure the loneliest of hearts.

Only, that was a long time ago and all that remains are the memories, the stories and the myths. Until now, that is, when three random strangers, generations apart but all in need of help with their hopeless love lives, are inexplicably drawn to the site of the original venue. The Preacher Man is long gone, but his son, with help from the wonderful Cappuccino Sisters, might just find it in himself to channel the spirit of The Preacher Man and once more give these three lovesick strangers the look of love.

Featuring the greatest hits of Dusty Springfield, including “The Look Of Love”, “I Only Want To Be With You”, “Spooky” and of course, the classic “Son Of A Preacher Man”, this sparklingly funny and sweetly touching new musical play by internationally-renowned writer Warner Brown will have you laughing, crying and singing your heart out to some of the greatest songs ever written.

Directed and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood and starring Diana Vickers (Little Voice, Rocky Horror Show, The X Factor) and Debra Stephenson (The Impressions Show, Bad Girls, Coronation Street), Son of a Preacher Man comes to the Assembly Hall Theatre for one week only. So you know just what to do with yourself – book your tickets now!

Please note there is some Parental Advisory material in this production.

Fred Theatre is back in schools over the coming academic year with three lively and engaging productions.

MACBETH

“All of the actors in this show gave passionate and haunting performances.”

“Fred’s production of Macbeth proved that a small theatre company can produce big theatre in a small space.”

“Despite being an hour and a half, the show did not feel rushed and the integrity of the show was not compromised.”

(Quotes from student reviews, details on file)

This year’s 90 minute Macbeth is returning in spring 2018. Fred Theatre brings Shakespeare’s tragedy of greed, lust and betrayal to life in a new and intimate production.

Six actors present this timeless classic in a contemporary setting. The production asks who, in the twenty-first century, can be trusted to tell us the truth? How easy is it to manipulate others? And what happens if ambition is left unchecked?

ROMEO AND JULIET

We’re delighted to announce the addition of Romeo and Juliet to the schools’ repertoire for spring 2018.

As with Macbeth, Shakespeare’s text is cut to be performed in 90 minutes, with the focus firmly on the young lovers and their journey from the bliss of first true love to tragic victims of a family feud.

Performed by six actors, Romeo and Juliet will be an excellent introduction to the text or a timely revision tool.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

This autumn Fred Theatre is on the road with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Recognised for our quality, professionalism and accessibility Fred has built an excellent reputation for our schools friendly productions.

Our 90 minute adaptation is a fresh and exciting re-telling of the familiar and much loved story.

A Christmas Carol is already booked in to perform at many schools in the run-up to Christmas, but there is space on the schedule if you’re interested.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Simply email our office (admin@fred-theatre.co.uk) or call Robert on 07974 210265. We’ll collect a few details from you and respond with potential dates and a quote soon after.

Stage on Screen produces high quality recordings of classic plays for students and theatre enthusiasts everywhere. We professionally stage classic plays at London’s historic Greenwich Theatre, and then record them with multiple cameras on high definition 16:9 widescreen video and 5.1 surround sound. The plays are filmed in front of a live audience to capture the atmosphere and tension of live theatre. These recordings are then finished, with both optional subtitles and a scene by scene breakdown added, and released on NTSC or PAL Multi region compatible DVDs.

Each DVD pack contains the full play (full text) and is accompanied by extensive filmed interviews with cast and crew, and our unique mastershot (single camera) recording: invaluable when teaching lighting or blocking. In addition there are costume designs, productions stills, and study guides, as well as other background materials on each play and production available at www.stageonscreen.com.

Stage on Screen’s productions are well respected by the theatre industry, teaching staff and the academic community, and in 2015 joined the Drama Online consortium, the award winning Bloomsbury Publishing plc online resource: www.dramaonlinelibrary.com

‘Essential watching in their own right…remarkable resources for those teaching English, Drama and Media ….’ The Shakespeare Bulletin.

‘..Unlike many modern productions of the classics, Stage on Screen productions are rarely cut, putting pupils who see them at a distinct advantage.’ Times Educational Supplement

‘From the moment Faustus enters the playing space we know we are in safe hands…fantastic inspiration for students.’ Teaching Drama Magazine

`Highly recommended.’ Video Librarian

‘A gem of a resource.’ International Schools Theatre Association

‘Brilliant. People who are teaching these plays would be crazy not to buy them’The English and Media Centre.

‘We have used your DVD extensively with our English Literature students. Their exam results have been excellent, and part of that is due to the unique dimension your material adds to their learning.’ Head of English, Colchester Royal Grammar School.

From years of teaching stage lighting to students, a practical, “hands on” stage lighting workshop works best for the students. It is engaging and fun and they learn by doing it! Suitable for GCSE, A level, Btech students.

The students will learn: how to turn their stage lighting ideas into reality.They will start by building up a 2.5 metre tall fully working theatre, then they will find out about the different types of lights, which lights to use where, then rig and focus them.

They will learn how a lighting plan is created, and a cue list is drawn up. Then they can start “painting with light” and take turns to operate the lighting desk as if running the lights for a real show.

Students will: explore focusing techniques, the use of shutters, barn doors, and irises, then by using a front forest gauze, they will make Macbeth witches appear with their steaming cauldron, while the forest disappears!

Gobos are used in Profile spots to create large scale projected cityscapes, trees, church windows etc, which really can transform your performing space, from the “Forest of Arden” to a grand castle, or New York all in a twinkling of an eye.

Towards the end of the workshop, the visual interest increases yet more with the introduction of simple yet effective star cloths, fire and water projections as well as some famous remote controlled West End sets magically appearing out of a smoke screen.

This workshop will inspire the teachers and the students alike and give lots of ideas to try for themselves, and they will clearly experience how the backstage theatre crafts come together to make a performance work, and be able to write about in their course work.

From years of teaching stage lighting to students, a practical, “hands on” stage lighting workshop works best for the students. It is engaging and fun and they learn by doing it! Suitable for GCSE, A level, Btech students.

The students will learn: how to turn their stage lighting ideas into reality.They will start by building up a 2.5 metre tall fully working theatre, then they will find out about the different types of lights, which lights to use where, then rig and focus them.

They will learn how a lighting plan is created, and a cue list is drawn up. Then they can start “painting with light” and take turns to operate the lighting desk as if running the lights for a real show.

Students will: explore focusing techniques, the use of shutters, barn doors, and irises, then by using a front forest gauze, they will make Macbeth witches appear with their steaming cauldron, while the forest disappears!

Gobos are used in Profile spots to create large scale projected cityscapes, trees, church windows etc, which really can transform your performing space, from the “Forest of Arden” to a grand castle, or New York all in a twinkling of an eye.

Towards the end of the workshop, the visual interest increases yet more with the introduction of simple yet effective star cloths, fire and water projections as well as some famous remote controlled West End sets magically appearing out of a smoke screen.

This workshop will inspire the teachers and the students alike and give lots of ideas to try for themselves, and they will clearly experience how the backstage theatre crafts come together to make a performance work, and be able to write about in their course work.

From years of teaching stage lighting to students, a practical, “hands on” stage lighting workshop works best for the students. It is engaging and fun and they learn by doing it! Suitable for GCSE, A level, Btech students.

The students will learn: how to turn their stage lighting ideas into reality.They will start by building up a 2.5 metre tall fully working theatre, then they will find out about the different types of lights, which lights to use where, then rig and focus them.

They will learn how a lighting plan is created, and a cue list is drawn up. Then they can start “painting with light” and take turns to operate the lighting desk as if running the lights for a real show.

Students will: explore focusing techniques, the use of shutters, barn doors, and irises, then by using a front forest gauze, they will make Macbeth witches appear with their steaming cauldron, while the forest disappears!

Gobos are used in Profile spots to create large scale projected cityscapes, trees, church windows etc, which really can transform your performing space, from the “Forest of Arden” to a grand castle, or New York all in a twinkling of an eye.

Towards the end of the workshop, the visual interest increases yet more with the introduction of simple yet effective star cloths, fire and water projections as well as some famous remote controlled West End sets magically appearing out of a smoke screen.

This workshop will inspire the teachers and the students alike and give lots of ideas to try for themselves, and they will clearly experience how the backstage theatre crafts come together to make a performance work, and be able to write about in their course work.

We all tend to have our own reasons for approaching each course we take and each additional qualification we work towards.

Some courses can cover an aspect of a syllabus that one is teaching and which has not been central to one’s studies in the past. Some take participants into the world of creative writing, and some involve original research.

And then the status and credibility of the awarding body is also important, not just for the quality of the teaching and the work, but also in terms of how the qualification will look on our CV should we wish to apply for a new post at some time in the future.

This coming academic year the University of Cambridge is offering a range of part-time courses in Creative Writing and English Literature of relevance to Drama teachers, starting this October. Brief details are given below, and more information is available on our website.

The Certificate in Creative Writing I starts by considering different forms of fiction – such as the novel, flash fiction, and short stories. Using published works and their own writing, those on the course examine the difference between fiction and other forms of writing such as poetry.

The second unit studies the structure of a range of novels to see how different authors have followed or subverted the “rules”, while the final unit considers the ways in which a piece written for performance tells its story and engages with its audience.

The Certificate in Creative Writing II looks in depth at creative non-fiction and the different forms of writing it involves, such as writing about food, narrative history, popular science, comic writing, and the essay. It then considers the importance of creating a memorable sense of place, while the final unit explores “life writing”, such as memoir, biography, letter, and diary writing.

The certificate courses can be taken independently and in any order, as indeed can the Diploma courses below.

The Diploma in Creative Writing II starts with historical fiction from Tudor England to Cold War Germany considering issues from creating convincing flashbacks to the interweaving of storylines from different points in history.

The second unit on Advanced Crime Writing considers key elements in all such writing, such as the compelling plot, convincing dialogue, a strong sense of place, and accurate research in different types of crime novels such as: “urban noir”, “rural noir”, “Scandi noir”, as well as true crime.

The final unit studies techniques used in writing for TV, film, stage and radio along with the art of adapting a story from one medium to another.

The Diploma in Creative Writing I focusses on advanced techniques for identifying a potential story, constructing a coherent sense of time and place, keeping dramatic control, etc. The second unit examines different approaches to structure and the use of pace, drama, description, characterisation, and humour.

The final unit considers the tradition of writing inspired by art, exploring sculpture, portraiture, landscapes, and modern art to observe the evolution of word-and-image in world literature.

The Diploma in English Literature I focusses initially on the adaptation of literary works into film and other forms, examining questions of genre, authorship, and form along the way using examples from Shakespeare, Emily Bronte, and Lewis Carroll, and filmic works by directors including Stanley Kubrick, Andrea Arnold, and Jane Campion.

The second looks at a range of major writers in poetry and prose, encompassing the religious debates that characterise much 17th-century writing and focussing on how each writer manifests his particular concerns in the minutiae of form and style.

The final unit considers matters of place, identity, and the spirit of discovery in a range of 19th- and 20th-century works, questioning what it once meant to travel and settle in the age of empire.

Finally the Advanced Diploma in English Literature is a part-time research-based course which offers students the opportunity to undertake supervised independent study over two academic years, culminating in a dissertation of 10,000-12,000 words on a topic of their devising.

The course provides a good foundation in research methods for those who wish to continue with their research at a higher level, either through a postgraduate course or on their own initiative.

Alternatively if you’d like to dip your toe in the water or explore a specific topic, we also offer a range of short courses throughout the year.

You can find out more about all of the above courses and apply online by 5 September on our website

Alternatively, you can contact me directly with specific enquiries on 01223 746 417 or email me at enquiries@ice.cam.ac.uk.

Once upon a time, there was a young musician called Robin. He loved to play the piano, because he knew music could be magical…

Then, one day, he began teaching music in schools. How the children loved playing music! But then, something terrible happened… he was asked to stage a show for all of the parents. Oh, how he was filled with fear!

Suddenly, the music teacher had an idea! His brother, Simon, was a writer and director of television programmes for ITV, Channel 4, and even the BBC! Perhaps if he and Simon worked together…

So, they created a show with very special ‘easy peasy’ magic. No-one had ever seen a play like it before – everyone agreed, it really was magical!

And what happened to the two brothers…? They wrote lots of Easy Peasy Plays that were used by hundreds of schools throughout the land! Yippee!

And this is where you join the story! Our latest Easy Peasy Plays are ready to delight your school! Even better, to celebrate the launch of our new summer collection you can enjoy a special discount of £5.00 off any play! Just enter the discount code save3 at checkout by 31 July 2016.

Search Taster Day Events – helps Drama teachers to discover an array of events to book students on to, such as university and college taster days, workshops, residentials, open days, outreach events and widening participation opportunities.

Drama & Theatre Studies Teaching Resources – Shine a spotlight on key practitioners, place devised performance centre stage, raise the curtain on live theatre evaluation and get behind the scenes on the exam. Written by teachers, examiners and Drama experts who are keen to share their knowledge, the full range of Drama resources will take your students from the green room to standing ovation.

New Essential Drama Skills – a compendium of creative drama lessons and scripts for teachers. The scripts have been used for public performances and as examination pieces over the years. Two of the duologues have been included in the LAMDA Examinations Acting Anthology Volume 3.

Into Action! A Modular Approach to Drama – This book of structured drama lessons will be invaluable to the drama teacher working with students on exam courses in Drama, Performing Arts or Expressive Arts. All lessons are complete with recommendations for warming up, preparation notes, objectives and suggestions for debriefing and discussion at the end of the lesson.

There are plays and there are plays, but sometimes it is particularly helpful to have a play that can not only be developed towards a final production but can also be worked on, in classroom in segments, with each segment making a coherent lesson.

And a play which as well being an event that can be staged in front of an audience can be used in class to examine how the central character (a detective) works and where she is going, as well as how she is characterised, how character motivation is explored, what costumes could be used, etc, etc.

In short, what we have here is a play that can be performed, dissected, re-worked, analysed, considered in terms of its structure, turned into a game, have a different ending (it is a murder mystery, so the outcome is a key element), have audience interaction, become a radio play, and be the basis for research of the genre.

All of these alternatives are available with “Murder at Masons Hotel” a play script complete with associated activities. It is supplied in copiable format so that each student can have his/her own copy of the script, or part of the script, to work on at all times.

The play is set in the 1960s and revolves round the murder of a New York crime boss who is visiting London with his family. He is shot in his room the night before the announcement of changes to his will, and the play centres around the attempts by two characters to solve the mystery of his death.

An initial investigation by Harriet Hemmings of Scotland Yard fails to make progress until Veronica Holmes (rumoured to be the great great granddaughter of Sherlock) is called in.

The play retains a real sense of drama while also including numerous comic moments. Many of the characters can be played by either male or female actors.

Murder at Masons Hotel is available as a copiable book, or on CD or as a download. Each edition comes with unlimited reproduction rights for use within the school. Sample pages can be viewed here http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1838.pdf

While all Stage on Screen plays feature regularly on school and higher/further education curriculums in the UK and across the world, you don’t have to be studying our specially staged and filmed productions to benefit from them. Anyone who loves or who is learning Shakespeare will profit from seeing plays by his good friend Ben Jonson, later contemporary John Webster, plus major influencer – and ‘real’ Shakespeare candidate – Christopher Marlowe.

Our current titles are as follows:

Dr Faustus – themes from this Marlowe classic are echoed in Macbeth in particular, but also Othello, Timon of Athens and other plays. Marlowe heavily influenced Shakespeare, and with this, probably his finest play, it’s easy to see why.

Volpone – another play that has echoes in Othello, but which is also interesting for comparison of Jonson’s more classical approach to drama when compared to Shakespeare, his contemporary and great friend.

The Duchess of Malfi – this dark masterpiece by John Webster finds many echoes in Shakespeare with its themes of corruption, cruelty and class, while the use of madness makes an interesting comparison with its treatment in Hamlet.

The School for Scandal – this Richard Brinsley Sheridan comedy of manners was written much later of course, and we can’t by any stretch describe it (let alone him) as a Shakespearean companion. However, we mention it here as it makes up the fourth of our current available titles and, like the others, it’s on many curriculums in its own right. As we currently offer all four titles for a special price, you may wish to consider it.

Approved texts – and all round approval

Each play uses full approved texts (other filmed productions are often heavily cut or adapted), and each is staged and recorded live in front of an audience at London’s Greenwich Theatre.

They’ve all received excellent reviews from students, teachers and academic journals plus mainstream and specialist press.

Here are just a couple:

‘Pitched perfectly to suit both casual and academic audiences, Stage on Screen offers an unparalleled array of material on these productions that will be a welcome addition to those who wish to study early modern dramatists.’ (The Shakespeare Bulletin)

‘..Unlike many modern productions of the classics, Stage on Screen productions are rarely cut, putting pupils who see them at a distinct advantage.’ (Times Education Supplement)

Each play is available in special Education Packs, which include three DVDs: the play (with optional subtitles); extensive interviews with the theatre company; and a master-shot recording, invaluable for teaching stagecraft, lighting and blocking. Our DVDs play on any system worldwide.

Available for £35.98 for each 3-disc title on Amazon, this special offer gets you the box set of all four titles for just £100 plus P&P, and VAT (if applicable). To order, just email stephen@hamilton-house.com with your completed order form. Alternatively, call us on +44 (0) 20 3174 3249.

If ordering from outside the UK, we’ll automatically convert the cost to your currency at that day’s exchange rate. (Currently, £100 is around US$145 or €130.)

The English language is full of plays – which is not surprising really since people have been writing them for around 1000 years.

The trouble is that many have cast requirements or subject matter that mean they are not at all suitable for the classroom or theatre with the right amount of engagement per candidate and the right number of students involved within the cast.

What’s more, given the need to find scenes and settings which are not just extracts from published plays and the need for the play to have a unified sense, finding suitable plays gets even more difficult – especially if one wishes to avoid using the same plays as last year.

This is the problem that “Here comes Godot now!” by Lindsay Jones solves. It contains 12 plays that engage with themes not often found in other sources, such as dark comedy, fantasy, horror, humour and urban myths.

Thus the themes in this volume avoid some of the social topics such as drug taking which other volumes (and indeed assemblies and PSHE lessons) will already have covered extensively and looks instead at more difficult topics such as FMG, death, child sexual abuse, and social class.

As for performances, the plays are written for a variety of combinations of participants from two boys or two girls up to four boys and four girls.

Because the volume is photocopiable (or printable from a CD rom) only one copy of the book need be bought, and it can be used among the class without further cost.

This second edition of this core text covers the practical options common to all the current examination boards at GCSE level. Guided by the teacher, pupils can work their way through improvised and scripted work that will allow clear opportunities for assessment and monitoring progress throughout the course. Activities are all clearly described and are supported by guidelines for successful performance.

There is a section which helps students find the right approach to the different written elements included in the current GCSE courses. The book provides guidance on the use of terminology in written work and a glossary of theatrical words and phrases. There are extracts from scripts with comments on language, character and technical considerations. Each section is self-contained and students are given guidance on how to achieve their true potential.

The English language is full of plays – which is not surprising really since people have been writing them for around 1000 years.

The trouble is that many have cast requirements or subject matter that mean they are not at all suitable for the classroom or theatre with the right amount of engagement per candidate and the right number of students involved within the cast.

What’s more, given the need to find scenes and settings which are not just extracts from published plays and the need for the play to have a unified sense, finding suitable plays gets even more difficult – especially if one wishes to avoid using the same plays as last year.

This is the problem that “Here comes Godot now!” by Lindsay Jones solves. It contains 12 plays that engage with themes not often found in other sources, such as dark comedy, fantasy, horror, humour and urban myths.

Thus the themes in this volume avoid some of the social topics such as drug taking which other volumes (and indeed assemblies and PSHE lessons) will already have covered extensively and looks instead at more difficult topics such as FMG, death, child sexual abuse, and social class.

As for performances, the plays are written for a variety of combinations of participants from two boys or two girls up to four boys and four girls.

Because the volume is photocopiable (or printable from a CD rom) only one copy of the book need be bought, and it can be used among the class without further cost.

Search Taster Day Events – helps Drama teachers to discover an array of events to book students on to, such as university and college taster days, workshops, residentials, open days, outreach events and widening participation opportunities.

Drama & Theatre Studies Teaching Resources – Shine a spotlight on key practitioners, place devised performance centre stage, raise the curtain on live theatre evaluation and get behind the scenes on the exam. Written by teachers, examiners and Drama experts who are keen to share their knowledge, the full range of Drama resources will take your students from the green room to standing ovation.

New Essential Drama Skills – a compendium of creative drama lessons and scripts for teachers. The scripts have been used for public performances and as examination pieces over the years. Two of the duologues have been included in the LAMDA Examinations Acting Anthology Volume 3.

Into Action! A Modular Approach to Drama – This book of structured drama lessons will be invaluable to the drama teacher working with students on exam courses in Drama, Performing Arts or Expressive Arts. All lessons are complete with recommendations for warming up, preparation notes, objectives and suggestions for debriefing and discussion at the end of the lesson.

A Key Stage 3 play for lessons, production, and learning about the intricacies of drama

There are plays and there are plays, but sometimes it is particularly helpful to have a play that can not only be developed towards a final production but can also be worked on, in classroom in segments, with each segment making a coherent lesson.

And a play which as well being an event that can be staged in front of an audience can be used in class to examine how the central character (a detective) works and where she is going, as well as how she is characterised, how character motivation is explored, what costumes could be used, etc, etc.

In short, what we have here is a play that can be performed, dissected, re-worked, analysed, considered in terms of its structure, turned into a game, have a different ending (it is a murder mystery, so the outcome is a key element), have audience interaction, become a radio play, and be the basis for research of the genre.

All of these alternatives are available with “Murder at Masons Hotel” a play script complete with associated activities. It is supplied in copiable format so that each student can have his/her own copy of the script, or part of the script, to work on at all times.

The play is set in the 1960s and revolves round the murder of a New York crime boss who is visiting London with his family. He is shot in his room the night before the announcement of changes to his will, and the play centres around the attempts by two characters to solve the mystery of his death.

An initial investigation by Harriet Hemmings of Scotland Yard fails to make progress until Veronica Holmes (rumoured to be the great great granddaughter of Sherlock) is called in.

The play retains a real sense of drama while also including numerous comic moments. Many of the characters can be played by either male or female actors.

Murder at Masons Hotel is available as a copiable book, or on CD or as a download. Each edition comes with unlimited reproduction rights for use within the school. Sample pages can be viewed here http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1838.pdf

Informal research over the past few years has suggested that most schools that put on a pantomime choose the story they wish to produce on the basis of personal favourites and a certain amount of rotation so that the same panto is not offered two years running.

However, where the aim of the event is not just to put on a performance but also to provide a learning experience which offers the children specific insights, some pantomimes are more appropriate than others.

If we are going down this route, one of the most obvious places to start is with Dick Whittington which as a story has the benefit of being based on a real person (although not necessarily a real cat).

Thus we have a historical plot and the possibility of examining everything that is inherent within the panto. The tradition, the staging, the scenery, the props, the lighting, the use of the provided music against new songs, or new lyrics, dance, movement, acting… all can then become topics for study.

Of course, each topic is an option – it is possible to present Dick Whittington as a pantomime with the normal rehearsals and production to the parents and no further explanation. Or you can take one or more of the issues inherent within the panto and look more deeply at that.

This is the background to our decision to produce a pack based around Dick Whittington, but now re-written as Dick Ottington and his famous cat Tommy, by David Stoll and Michael Hinton.

The package includes:

a Director’s Script, with detailed page-by-page production notes

a Pupils’ Script

a Vocal Score containing thirteen new songs with piano accompaniment, as well as an overture and incidental music

a complete set of high-quality fully orchestrated backing tracks and sound effects.

The Director’s Script also has an extensive introduction to pantomime itself as a topic for study, including the traditions and conventions of this type of theatre.

There are also helpful notes on all aspects of putting on a school production from casting, organising rehearsals, writing new lyrics, making props and sound effects through to involving the audience. The material, therefore, can be used for a term’s study as well as forming the basis of the end of term production.

David Stoll is a well-known composer and songwriter who has also worked extensively with primary school teachers and pupils on creative projects. His SEALSONGS are favourite assembly material, and his book on how to teach composing at KS2 is acknowledged for its helpful notes and suggestions. To go to his website please click here.

Michael Hinton is a teacher, writer and musician with many years’ experience of writing educational materials for schools abroad and in the UK. He works as Music Director with amateur dramatic societies and children’s theatre groups, helping them to stage musicals and pantomimes, and is the composer of hundreds of educational songs.

Dick Ottington and his famous cat Tommy is published as a download so that you can receive immediately a copy onto your computer which you can share with colleagues as often as you want. You can also put it on your school learning platform so all staff can access it.

The price for the full package is £24.95 plus VAT (the VAT can be reclaimed in most cases by the school).

Dick Ottington and his famous cat Tommy is published by Novello & Co Ltd and distributed by First and Best, part of the Hamilton House group. If you have any enquiries you can call 01536 399 011 or email sales@firstandbest.co.uk or write to us at First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby, Northants NN17 4HH.

There are plays and there are plays, but sometimes it is particularly helpful to have a play that can not only be developed towards a final production but can also be worked on, in classroom in segments, with each segment making a coherent lesson.

And a play which as well being an event that can be staged in front of an audience can be used in class to examine how the central character (a detective) works and where she is going, as well as how she is characterised, how character motivation is explored, what costumes could be used, etc, etc.

In short, what we have here is a play that can be performed, dissected, re-worked, analysed, considered in terms of its structure, turned into a game, have a different ending (it is a murder mystery, so the outcome is a key element), have audience interaction, become a radio play, and be the basis for research of the genre.

All of these alternatives are available with “Murder at Masons Hotel” a play script complete with associated activities. It is supplied in copiable format so that each student can have his/her own copy of the script, or part of the script, to work on at all times.

The play is set in the 1960s and revolves round the murder of a New York crime boss who is visiting London with his family. He is shot in his room the night before the announcement of changes to his will, and the play centres around the attempts by two characters to solve the mystery of his death.

An initial investigation by Harriet Hemmings of Scotland Yard fails to make progress until Veronica Holmes (rumoured to be the great great granddaughter of Sherlock) is called in.

The play retains a real sense of drama while also including numerous comic moments. Many of the characters can be played by either male or female actors.

Murder at Masons Hotel is available as a copiable book, or on CD or as a download. Each edition comes with unlimited reproduction rights for use within the school. Sample pages can be viewed here http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1838.pdf

While all Stage on Screen plays feature regularly on school and higher/further education curriculums in the UK and across the world, you don’t have to be studying our specially staged and filmed productions to benefit from them. Anyone who loves or who is learning Shakespeare will profit from seeing plays by his good friend Ben Jonson, later contemporary John Webster, plus major influencer – and ‘real’ Shakespeare candidate – Christopher Marlowe.

Our current titles are as follows:

Dr Faustus – themes from this Marlowe classic are echoed in Macbeth in particular, but also Othello, Timon of Athens and other plays. Marlowe heavily influenced Shakespeare, and with this, probably his finest play, it’s easy to see why.

Volpone – another play that has echoes in Othello, but which is also interesting for comparison of Jonson’s more classical approach to drama when compared to Shakespeare, his contemporary and great friend.

The Duchess of Malfi – this dark masterpiece by John Webster finds many echoes in Shakespeare with its themes of corruption, cruelty and class, while the use of madness makes an interesting comparison with its treatment in Hamlet.

The School for Scandal – this Richard Brinsley Sheridan comedy of manners was written much later of course, and we can’t by any stretch describe it (let alone him) as a Shakespearean companion. However, we mention it here as it makes up the fourth of our current available titles and, like the others, it’s on many curriculums in its own right. As we currently offer all four titles for a special price, you may wish to consider it.

Approved texts – and all round approval

Each play uses full approved texts (other filmed productions are often heavily cut or adapted), and each is staged and recorded live in front of an audience at London’s Greenwich Theatre.

They’ve all received excellent reviews from students, teachers and academic journals plus mainstream and specialist press.

Here are just a couple:

‘Pitched perfectly to suit both casual and academic audiences, Stage on Screen offers an unparalleled array of material on these productions that will be a welcome addition to those who wish to study early modern dramatists.’ (The Shakespeare Bulletin)

‘..Unlike many modern productions of the classics, Stage on Screen productions are rarely cut, putting pupils who see them at a distinct advantage.’ (Times Education Supplement)

Each play is available in special Education Packs, which include three DVDs: the play (with optional subtitles); extensive interviews with the theatre company; and a master-shot recording, invaluable for teaching stagecraft, lighting and blocking. Our DVDs play on any system worldwide.

Available for £35.98 for each 3-disc title on Amazon, this special offer gets you the box set of all four titles for just £100 plus P&P, and VAT (if applicable). To order, just email stephen@hamilton-house.com with your completed order form Alternatively, call us on +44 (0) 20 3174 3249.

If ordering from outside the UK, we’ll automatically convert the cost to your currency at that day’s exchange rate. (Currently, £100 is around US$145 or €130.)

When it was proposed that we stage Edith Nesbit’s universally popular children’s novel, “The Railway Children”, in its own theatre at King’s Cross, complete with a working steam train, we thought it was a great idea that might run for three months or so.

Little did we know that the theatre production would go on to feature Shaun Williamson, win an Olivier Award for best Entertainment, and would still be playing to packed houses four years later.

Which is why the play’s run has been extended again, meaning that we can now take bookings from 8th February – 31st October. Moreover, there is an early bird offer for schools, so if you book by 11th April, tickets will be £14.50.

The production is staged in a brand new 1000 seat theatre at King’s Cross, built around a real train track, with a vintage locomotive that steams into the theatre to really bring the show to life.

What’s more, we offer all schools a unique experience by hosting a drama workshop which lasts for just under an hour and which can be undertaken on a class by class basis at the theatre or at your school.

By bringing sections of the script to life we will enhance the children’s experience of the show, encouraging them to write engagingly about their experience of the production.

The Railway Children drama workshops are available for all primary schools that bring 60 or more children to The Railway Children stage show for an additional £3. Workshops for smaller groups are available in the theatre foyer before the performance.

Additionally our Education Guide includes classroom activities for teachers and students which can be found in our education pack.

Defining what makes a successful course of drama lessons is extremely difficult, and it is hard to imagine that any complete agreement could ever be reached, even if one undertook a long term research project into the issue with a group of fellow teachers.

But there is one factor that most drama teachers would include in their review of successful drama lessons, and that is variety.

Variety not just in the sense of considering drama from a whole variety of different thematic areas, but also through the variety using the themes with different types of dramatic activities and the different ingredients in drama.

A chance, for example, to utilise one or more types of comedy (from farce to parody, from slapstick to satire) within dialogues, relationships, monologues, sustaining a role, creating a character etc.

It is this notion of variety that the copiable volume “New Essential Drama Skills” takes as its starting point in offering a huge range of activities for pupils in years 7, 8 and 9.

The more traditional notion of focussing the drama on specific subjects such as “Life in a Mediaeval Village” or the topic of “Refugees” is thus avoided (for there are already plenty of books that do this).

Instead drama activities are sought which allow the reader to pick various drama activities, to explore perhaps mime, to look further at improvisation, as the development of the group and the syllabus demands.

Also included in the book are a set of short plays for pairs and groups, as well as a series of extended drama games which can be used over and over again in different formats, allowing young students the chance to explore a wide range of possibilities from the same starting point.

The volume also includes a diverse set of very varied activities within the field of mime and movement, activities which can be used with any year group.

The volume “New Essential Drama Skills” by Philip Jamieson is available as a photocopy master or on CD Rom, so that you copy and hand out sections of the book to fellow teachers and of course to the students.

New Essential Drama Skillsl is available as a copiable book, or on CD or as a download. Each edition comes with unlimited reproduction rights for use within the school. Sample pages can be viewed here http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1840.pdf

Stone Age assembly and writing workshops

Tie in story writing with your history topic and bring the past to life with a Stone Age assembly. It’s fun and interactive. Pupils will get hands on with a mammoth hunt and find out about Neolithic life.

The Stone Age assembly is a perfect primer for story writing workshops where pupils will write their own stories. We’ll use the innovative Accelerated writing method (as used by Creative Writing Club). I’m a children’s author who teaches creative writing in schools, so I can also answer their questions on writing and perform short extracts from my book.

As well as the stone age, other topics include: The Bronze Age, the Iron Age Celts, the Greeks, the Egyptians, the Romans, the Celts, the Anglo Saxons, the Aztecs, Mayans, the Great Fire of London, Flooded world (natural disasters), the Vikings, the Normans, the Tudors, the Victorians, Shakespeare, Traditional tales, the Rainforest and many more. I’m an ex-BBC editor and I can also offer workshops on factual writing (using a historical frame).

About me
I’ve written 14 books for children, over a wide age range (Y1-Y9) including: Spartapuss (Romans), Beowuff (Anglo Saxons vs Vikings) Olympuss Games (Greeks), Boudicat (Celts), Cleocatra’s Kushion (Egyptians). My graphic novel ‘London Deep’ was chosen as a Recommended Read for World Book Day. I co-wrote the musical version of Julia Donaldson’s books The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom. I’ve led writing workshops for Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust and The Young Archaeologists Club. Check out my profile on Love Reading For Kids:

These delightful adaptations written in modern English are an excellent way of introducing young people to Shakespeare – they are readable, they bring out the humour of the originals and they are surprisingly true to the feeling of Shakespeare’s plays.

A very useful resource both in the classroom, as the school play and useful preparation for a visit to the theatre. Also an excellent text for students of English as a foreign Language.

Celebrate Christmas with style this year with Christmas themed Magic Shows that include comedy capers, pantomime calling out and jaw-dropping magic (including the production of a live white rabbit!).

Performed by one of the few women to pass the arduous Magic Circle Exams, with clients that range from celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Geri Halliwell to schools such as Wold Primary academy and Merton Court, the shows are guaranteed to dazzle.

How staging can be used as part of an outdoor carol concert, and then indoors as the students serenade while the parents taste their mince pies.

When we first talked about our staging being used outdoors (as well as indoors for assemblies, drama, speech days, and presentations), there were, I must admit, some eyebrows raised.

But my impression is that the idea is catching on, and I’ve heard of a number of schools using our staging so that pupils and students can sing carols as parents approach the school hall for their indoor festivity. Some have experimented with short outdoor nativity plays – which really mean the lanterns have an impact.

Outdoor events always intrigue students and impress parents, and with staging that is suitable for outside events it means it can be moved around easily. You can even dismantle the outdoor rig and reset inside during the interval for the second half of the event.

It is because of new ideas like these that have developed in recent years that we ask schools that use our staging to take photographs of the results.

If you take a look at our website I think you’ll agree that some of these represent really impressive examples of how our staging can be used in a very creative way.

But many teachers and site managers have reminded us that the flexibility of the staging is not the only consideration when choosing what to buy. You will also be considering how you are going to store it when its normal location is required for other uses.

Which is why we developed a stage system that can be compacted into such a tiny space that even Dr Who would start to wonder if someone involved in teaching hadn’t cracked the secret of using his famous “relative dimensions in space”.

In fact, in our latest designs we’ve now arranged matters so that a complete stage of up to 40m² can be stored in just 2m² of floor space.

Then there’s the lifetime guarantee. It is hard to imagine what might go wrong with staging, but if somehow in some unexpected way it does go wrong, the guarantee is there.

I do hope you will visit our website and take a look at what other schools have done with our staging. Just click on any of the pictures to enlarge it. Click on the arrow at the end of the picture, and you’ll see more. And more.

There’s still time to order staging for your Christmas play and events – don’t hit the panic button just yet! A free, no obligation, professional demonstration is readily available, and we’ll show you how to maximise the space in your school hall.

Revealed: some of the amazing things that schools have done with modern flexible staging

When schools show us what they have done with the staging we have supplied, my colleagues and I are always totally stunned.

Of course we shouldn’t be – for we supplied the staging and know its potential; but the creativity and inventiveness that exists in schools never fails to astound us.

And that’s why we have put on our website some of these really impressive examples of how our staging has been put to use.

But, of course, we also know (because many Head Teachers have reminded us) that the flexibility of the staging is not the only consideration when choosing what to buy. You also need to consider how you are going to store it when the hall or room is required for other uses.

Which is why we developed a stage system that can be compacted into such a tiny space that even Dr Who would be proud of the effect.

In fact in our latest designs we’ve now arranged matters so that a complete stage of up to 40m² can be stored in just 2m² of floor space.

Another issue to consider is whether you wish to be able to use the staging both inside and outside the school (be it for tiered seating for guests at sports day, the school fete, or any other event). Not all staging is suitable for outdoor use – although many schools have never considered using staging outside prior to purchasing from us.

Then there’s the lifetime guarantee. It is hard to imagine what might go wrong with staging, but if it does go wrong, the guarantee is there.

I do hope you will visit our website and take a look at what other schools have done with our staging. Just click on any of the pictures to enlarge it. Click on the arrow at the end of the pictures, and you’ll see more. And more.

There’s still time to order staging for your Christmas play and events – don’t hit the panic button just yet! A free, no obligation, professional demonstration is readily available, and we’ll show you how to maximise the space in your school hall.

Why a trip to the theatre can inspire an interest for children’s literature.

The tradition of British Theatre stretches back to the Mystery Plays of the 10th century, and there are good arguments to suggest that it is the most enduring and popular of all the art forms in the UK. Indeed along with Broadway in New York, London’s theatre land is one of the two pre-eminent centres of theatre in the world.

Which is perhaps the strongest reason there is for taking children to see live theatrical productions. The only question is, which performance should one take the children to?

Perhaps top of the list will always be a theatre performance that is taken from children’s literature, and indeed with The Railway Children, we have a drama that is inspiring and endlessly engaging for children and which of course they can experience through the film and the book as well as at the theatre.

Our production is staged in a brand new 1000 seat theatre at King’s Cross, built around a real train track, with a vintage locomotive that steams into the theatre to really bring it to life.

What’s more, we offer all schools a unique experience by hosting a drama workshop after the curtain closes, which can be undertaken on a class by class basis within the school or at the King’s Cross theatre itself.

Each workshop lasts for just under an hour and is adapted to suit the age of the class attending. By bringing sections of the script to life we will enhance the children’s experience of the show, which will encourage them to write engagingly about the production and their experience.

The Railway Children drama workshops are available for all primary schools that bring 60 or more children to The Railway Children stage show. And workshops for smaller groups are available in the theatre foyer before the performance.

Additionally our Education Guide includes activities for teachers and students and behind-the-scenes interviews with the writer and the director. To download our education pack, please click here.

The ticket cost for The Railway Children production is £16.50 per person, and if you opt for the workshop too, there is a small additional cost of £3 per child (providing there is a minimum number of 60 attendees for the workshop).

To get a taste of what the show is all about, you can watch our short trailer here.

What can School Dance Week do for you, and what can you do for School Dance Week?

Dance is the second most popular physical activity within primary schools, and yet curiously in the past there has never been a School Dance Week through which schools can celebrate their involvement with dance and share with each other ideas and suggestions relating to dance in schools.

So, we’ve rectified that by setting up the first ever School Dance Week. And even though this is our first step forwards on what we hope will be a long-running campaign to get dance in schools noticed, and help all dance teachers develop their work in schools, we’ve already found a fabulous group of partners who have shown their willingness to work with us. The list of partners is below.

Also we have over 100 participating schools of all sizes and types from all over the country, and we’d welcome your involvement with us too.

What we are asking you to do is to sign up with School Dance Week (it’s completely free and comes with no commitment – you just show your support for the idea.) This will give you the opportunity access free resources and opportunities from all the professional partners who have supported the very start of School Dance Week.

Now that we have got going we can say that next year’s School Dance Week will be even bigger – and we will be commemorating those schools that have chosen to support us at our very start with a Honour Board of Founder Schools. All you have to do is sign up – there is absolutely no cost and no commitment.

From here on, having established School Dance Week our work is now to establish working relationships between schools and dance professionals, creating a potential outlet for long term educational work and increasing your Arts Mark.

And if you have your own ideas as to what School Dance Week can do in the future, we’d like to hear from you. Please click here to contact us.

Here is our list of Founding Partners – to whom we are very grateful indeed.

Pineapple Community

The Movement Factory

Balletboyz

2 Faced Dance

Motionhouse

Tilted Productions

The Place

C-12 Dance Theatre

Northern School of Contemporary Dance

Dance East

West End in Schools

Youth Dance England

I really do hope that you feel there is something for you in this new initiative, and that from this beginning we can really increase an awareness in the importance and benefit of encouraging dance in schools.